The Meaning of Christmas in with Abed from NBC's "Community"

Have you watched NBC's Thursday night show, "Community" starring Chevy Chase and Joel McHale?

Well, be sure watch it this Thursday for a very merry episode where Abed brings the whole gang on a search for the meaning of Christmas.

But the gang has turned to clay - or maybe some high-tech foam.

Claymation rocks Christmas Tales

Remember the Christmas special that would come on TV every year that was done in all Claymation? I think it was 'Little Drummer Boy'? This episode of "Community" reminded me of the days when I thought that was the coolest, and freakiest way to tell a story. I mean, standard animation wasn't good enough for these folks. Technically the term for this episode of "Community" is Stop Motion Animation....but I like claymation. Like 'pleather' for leather-like-vinyl.

Jeff-in-the-Box BrittaBot and ShirlyBaby

The greatest thing about this episode is the gang (except Abed) turns into different toys - like the Misfit toys, but with their same sense of humor. Chevy Chase as a teddy bear is heeelarious!

image via NBC

The gang is taken on a wild holiday advanture with Abed and a shrink/wizard calling the shots. Eventually Abed does find the meaning of Christmas...and you will too.

"Community" is on Thursday nights at 8:00 pm EST on NBC.

Plus, if you are on twitter there will be a live "Community" viewing party! Just follow @one2onenetwork for details! And you can follow "Community" on Twitter and Joel McHale too.

What's your meaning of Christmas?

Janine

Disclosure: I watch "Community" just about every week but this post does count as an entry into a giveaway from One2One Network where I might win a give card or camera. But that's not why I did it. I like the show! In other words, all opinions expressed here are my own and this post was neither approved nor reviewed prior to being published.

Review: TLC's 'Sister Wives' - Can America Accept Plural Marriages?

I have a whole new view of polygamous marriages and the idea of men having more than one wife after watching the first episode of TLC's new show, 'Sister Wives'.

image of 'Sister Wives' parents via TLC

I like the Browns...all, what 21 of them? Kody and his first three wives were all married BEFORE any children were born - a fact that surprised me. They seem to be people just like you and me. Well, maybe not you over there - I mean, talk about dysfunction.

Plural Families Bigger in Size and Maturity

So let's talk about dysfunction. If you are expecting to find that with the Browns, it has either been edited out, or this really is a lifestyle that just fits some personalities. Sure, all the wives admit to jealousy at some point. They are human. It's a real feeling. They acknowledge it. Then they move on. Could these “plygs” (a term they use amongst themselves) have found a way to rise above all of us single marriage folks when it comes to jealousy?

What about the kids? One might think having more than one mom would be confusing. How can one man engage with all those kids and offer guidance and love? I know my when my own dad got angry he’d have to go through the list of family members (just my mom and my brother) before finally getting mine right to yell at me. Can this one guy keep it straight? Surprisingly, Kody seems to be a very involved father, taking the time to hang with each mom and family on a rotating schedule. Kody is not at happy hour, on the golf course all day, or holed up in front of TVs on Sunday watching football. He can’t! He’s got 4 families to juggle! Could having more than one wife make polygamists better parents?

Benefits of Having More than One Wife

After an hour spent with the Browns it wasn’t difficult to see the benefits. For Meri who lost a sister to cancer, she’s comforted knowing that should anything happen to her, her only child will be taken care of and will never be alone. For Janelle who prefers a full-time job to housework, she revels in the fact that when she comes home from a long day at the office, her kids have done their homework, and dinner is waiting on the table. And for Christine, the “mom”, she`has an army of at her disposal when it comes to keeping up with the house, the yard, and the chores.

Three is Enough

In this first episode Kody announces his plans to propose to a fourth wife. This woman and her three children will be walking into a family that has been together for 26 years. Will she be welcomed? Will that ugly beast called jealousy arise again? Will the kids welcome their new siblings? Will Kody’s job be safe or will word get out? These are the things that will keep me watching ‘Sister Wives’.

‘Sister Wives’ premieres Sunday, September 26 on TLC at 10:00 pm.

Thanks to my friends at Discovery who gave me the opportunity to screen ‘Sister Wives’ so I look like the cool kid at school pick-up.

Remember Bernard Goetz, Jessica Lynch, the DC Sniper Victims? AFTERMATH does.

What was really going through Bernie Goetz' mind as he shot four youths on the subway in New York? Do the victims of the DC Sniper still live in fear? Where is Jessica Lynch now. William Shatner interviews those ordinary citizens whose lives were transformed over night in the new BIO Channel series, "AFTERMATH".

How Does it Feel

I was able to view the first episode of "AFTERMATH" this weekend with Bernard Goetz, the man famous for shooting 4 young African American kids on the subway in New York City before they were allegedly going to mug him. He was acquitted of all charges except carring and unregistered firearm and served less than a year in jail. Having grown up in an exterior suburb of New York, I remember The City in the mid-1980s and it was a very different place. Crime was at an all-time high, you couldn't walk a block without seeing a homeless person, and the subway stations were dark and smelly places. Bernard Goetz had been mugged and beaten before. Everyone knew someone who had been mugged. The time was ripe for a citizen hero.

What I enjoyed about "AFTERMATH" is that Shatner tried to get to the heart of what Goetz felt that day. They discuss the events leading up to it, the how and why Goetz had a gun, when he knew he was going to shoot the four boys, and the physical affect on his body during the episode. For example, his vision turned to black and white, and his hearing was altered.

The Aftermath of What Happened

What is life like and how do you go on after you are launched into the public eye, your face on every TV screen, newspaper, and magazine? Is it possible to slip back into obscurity? What are the long term affects on your life? Shatner interviews not just the main subject, but other instrumental people involved in the cases to separate fact from fiction. We hear the story differently and learn how life can change in years after making the headlines.

"AFTERMATH" premieres tonight, Monday August 2nd at 10PMET (9PMCT / 11PMPT) on The Bio Channel.

Who else would you like to see on "AFTERMATH"?

Janine

Image via Biography.com

Disclosure: I received a free screener of the first episode of "Aftermath" for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are my own and this post was neither reviewd nor approved by "Aftermath" or the Bio Channel prior to being published.